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October 19, 2007

Herbs to make your house smell good...

I was wandering thru my herbal books and thought this would be a good time to post some potpourri recipes and similar items. The house is closing up now for the cooler weather and things get stuffy inside. I like to use pumpkin spice this time of year in candles and potpourri. At Christmas there's an evergreen orange mix I make and put around the house. Come the warmer weather I am fond of rose and even lilac. So I make different mixes and when they are done I put them away in plastic bags till next year and refresh with new oils. If the potpourri looks pretty sad tho ....I just toss it in the garden to decompose..... its organic.

I have made this and love to use it whenever I remake the bed with fresh sheets.LAVENDER ROSE MIST

3 Oz Filtered Water

1 Oz Rose Water (find at a Middle Eastern Grocery or Possibly at an Herb Store)

40 Drops lavender Essential Oil (40 to 50)

1 Bottle With Fine Mist Sprayer. (4 oz)

Labels

Put all ingredients into 4 oz bottle and shake well. Label. To Use: Spray pillows and bed before retiring for the evening. May also be sprayed throughout the house as a room mist.

FALL HONEYSUCKLE POTPOURRI

45 Drops Honeysuckle Oil

1 Cup Oak Moss 6 Small Acorns

2 Cups Dried Oak Leaves

2 Cups Dried Honeysuckle

1 Cup Dried Passion Flower

1 Cup Dried Rosebuds and Petals

1/2 Cup Dried Pine Needles

1 Tablespoon SageStir the potpourri well and store in a tightly covered ceramic or glass container.

ORANGE SPICE POTPOURRI

1 Pound Orange Peel (dime Size)

1/2 Pound Lemon Peel (dime Size)

1 Pound Whole Star Anise

1 Pound Small Cinnamon Sticks (1 Inch)

1 Pound Whole Allspice

1 Pound Whole Cloves

4 Ounces Fixative Orris Root, Cellulose Fixative

1 Bottle With Dropper of Orange (1 ounce) Cinnamon, or Christmas Oils. (1 to 2)If making a small amount, use a jar. If making a larger amount, use something that you don't mind having the aroma in forever. You could make it in a plastic shoe box container. When finished you can put your craft supplies in it and whenever you open it you get the most wonderful aroma.

Mix together all ingredients except the oil. After mixing, add the oil by dropping it onto the potpourri. Trying to get as much as possible of the oil on the fixative. Continue to mix as you drop the oil into the potpourri. Use 1/2 of the oil. Check the aroma by smelling 2 or 3 days later; you can always decide to add more oil. Let the potpourri sit for 2 to 3 weeks in a cool dark spot. Stirring every couple days. When finished bag up and label. Remember you can make as little or as much as you want with the recipe above -- just add and adjust to your liking.

Mix the marigold petals, lemon verbena leaves, lemon peel and lemongrass in a large China bowl. Place the lemon rind, coriander seeds and gum benzoin in a mortar and grind thoroughly. Add the oils to the mixture in the mortar and blend well. Combine the two mixtures together in the large bowl. Store in a lidded dish and stir twice a week. Allow six weeks for the mixture to cure. To display, pour the potpourri into a wide dish and scatter with mimosa, daffodils and orange peel.SIMMERING POTPOURRI

Make sure you watch your water level in the simmering pot so that it does not run dry! If you keep it on a low simmer, it should be able to go for at least an hour, depending on what size pot you use and how much water you start with. Use these often and you will find that over time, the aroma will become a part of your home, and you will find that people will tell you how good your house always smells when they visit.

Of course, this method of scenting is all natural, no synthetic fragrances to be concerned about. You will be using essential oils to heighten the scents, though that is optional, especially for the blends that already have a lot of natural scent. Use the amount of essential oils that you prefer. I use an average of about 10 drops per two cups of herb/spice.

DREAM PILLOWS

Prophetic Dreams3 Ounces Mugwort, dried 2 Ounces Lavender Flowers, dried 1 Ounce Mint, dried 1 Ounce Rose Buds or Petals To be use on the 3 days of the full moon.

These are simple to make. Just take two pieces of thick fabric..velvet, linen or cotton or some type of natural fabric. Cut out two circles or squares, 9 inches in diameter and sew 3/4 of it together around the edge. You can even use the appropriate color of fabric for the desired effect...ie green or blue for healing, purple or black or prophetic dreams..etc Leave the rest open. Mix up a blend of herbs (choose from above or create your own). Once this is done, ensure any oils used have been absorbed by the herbs, and stuff the mix into the pillow, and sew up the remaining quarter. These will remain potent up to a year if you store them in an air tight plastic bag in a dark place.

Published recipe in...

Country Living Magazine

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About Me

Jack of all trades, been a chef, cooking teacher and Im also an herbalist. Been a mom, gramma, friend, and wife, now onto the next phase! Im divorced and live with my boyfriend. We have finally landed in Oregon after trying to get here for several yrs. These blogs will log many of the things about this move, my recipes and more.